English Department Celebrates Poet with Supper

Poetry, kilts, and haggis are not tokens of a typical Saturday night in January in York, Nebraska. However, all three were present on January 26 as the English department gathered to celebrate the famed Scottish poet Robert Burns with a traditional Burns Supper.

The event was hosted by Joshua Fullman, chair of the English department and assistant professor of English, and his wife, Leah. ‘Lord and Lady Fullman’ welcomed 14 students and faculty from the department to enjoy the educational, gastronomical, and cultural event.

“It was my hope to introduce students to some foreign cuisine, to give them the challenge of making dinner speeches, and to experience a wee bit of Scottish high culture,” says Fullman, who earned a master’s of science in medieval studies from the University of Edinburgh in 2008.

A Burns Supper is a traditional Scottish event that celebrates the life and poetry of Burns, also known as the Bard of Scotland. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, January 25. Burns Suppers are most common in Scotland and Northern Ireland but occur wherever there are Burns fans. They typically include haggis (type of sausage), a series of toasts, and the recitation of Burns' poetry.

" Burns Night was so much fun," said Meagan Detlefs, a senior English major from Spearfish, South Dakota. "It's such a wonderful blessing to have professors who are willing to work so hard outside the classroom to give us new and exciting educational experiences. I already knew who Robert Burns was, but it was fascinating to see how much influence he's had and still has on Scotland's culture."